The Solar Shade Control Act was passed by the California state legislature and signed by Governor Jerry Brown in 1978 to give solar collectors access to sunlight. The act limits blocking access to solar collectors by trees on an adjacent property,[1] and formerly provided criminal penalties for violation.[2] The solar collectors may be used for water heating, space heating or cooling, or electricity generation.
The law was amended in 2009, allowing trees to remain, if they were planted before the solar collector was installed. The amendment also changed violations from criminal to a civil matter.[1]